Parlour game
Encyclopedia
A parlour game is a group game
played indoors. During the Victorian era
in Great Britain
and in the United States
, these games were extremely popular among the upper and middle classes. They were often played in a parlour
, hence the name.
During the 19th century, wealthy men and women had more leisure time than people of previous generations. This led to the creation of a variety of parlour games to allow these gentlemen and ladies to amuse themselves at small parties. Parlour games decreased in popularity in the first half of the 20th century as radio
, movies
, and later, television
captured more of the public's leisure time. Though decreased in popularity, parlour games continue to be played. Some remain nearly identical to their Victorian ancestors; others have been transformed into board game
s such as Balderdash
.
Many parlour games involve logic
or word-play
. Others, such as blind man's bluff, are more physical games, but not to the extent of a sport
or exercise
. Some also involve dramatic skill, such as in charades
. Most do not require any equipment beyond what would be available in a typical parlour. Parlour games are usually competitive, but cumulative scores are not usually kept and the only reward for winning a round is the admiration of one's peers. The length and ending time of the game is typically not set; play continues until the players decide to end the game.
Boxed Parlour Games, especially around Christmas, were very popular from around 1920 until into the 1960s when suddenly the companies producing them presumably failed to sell enough and simply stopped producing them. A number of companies have re-established themselves over the last few years, for example D & G Parlour Games, others can be found on the Internet under Games or Christmas Games.
The phrase "parlour game" has entered political dialogue, and is used to accuse opponents of using deliberately nebulous or confusing language when describing a particular position on an issue.
Game
A game is structured playing, usually undertaken for enjoyment and sometimes used as an educational tool. Games are distinct from work, which is usually carried out for remuneration, and from art, which is more often an expression of aesthetic or ideological elements...
played indoors. During the Victorian era
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
and in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, these games were extremely popular among the upper and middle classes. They were often played in a parlour
Parlour
Parlour , from the French word parloir, from parler , denotes an "audience chamber". In parts of the United Kingdom and the United States, parlours are common names for certain types of food service houses, restaurants or special service areas, such as tattoo parlors...
, hence the name.
During the 19th century, wealthy men and women had more leisure time than people of previous generations. This led to the creation of a variety of parlour games to allow these gentlemen and ladies to amuse themselves at small parties. Parlour games decreased in popularity in the first half of the 20th century as radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
, movies
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, and later, television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
captured more of the public's leisure time. Though decreased in popularity, parlour games continue to be played. Some remain nearly identical to their Victorian ancestors; others have been transformed into board game
Board game
A board game is a game which involves counters or pieces being moved on a pre-marked surface or "board", according to a set of rules. Games may be based on pure strategy, chance or a mixture of the two, and usually have a goal which a player aims to achieve...
s such as Balderdash
Balderdash
Balderdash is a board game of bluffing and trivia created by Laura Robinson and Paul Toyne. It is based on a classic parlor game called Dictionary.-Gameplay:The game begins by all players rolling a die, with the high roll chosen to be the first "dasher"...
.
Many parlour games involve logic
Logic
In philosophy, Logic is the formal systematic study of the principles of valid inference and correct reasoning. Logic is used in most intellectual activities, but is studied primarily in the disciplines of philosophy, mathematics, semantics, and computer science...
or word-play
Word game
Word games and puzzles are spoken or board games often designed to test ability with language or to explore its properties.Word games are generally engaged as a source of entertainment, but have been found to serve an educational purpose as well...
. Others, such as blind man's bluff, are more physical games, but not to the extent of a sport
Sport
A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...
or exercise
Physical exercise
Physical exercise is any bodily activity that enhances or maintains physical fitness and overall health and wellness. It is performed for various reasons including strengthening muscles and the cardiovascular system, honing athletic skills, weight loss or maintenance, as well as for the purpose of...
. Some also involve dramatic skill, such as in charades
Charades
Charades or charade is a word guessing game. In the form most played today, it is an acting game in which one player acts out a word or phrase, often by pantomiming similar-sounding words, and the other players guess the word or phrase. The idea is to use physical rather than verbal language to...
. Most do not require any equipment beyond what would be available in a typical parlour. Parlour games are usually competitive, but cumulative scores are not usually kept and the only reward for winning a round is the admiration of one's peers. The length and ending time of the game is typically not set; play continues until the players decide to end the game.
Boxed Parlour Games, especially around Christmas, were very popular from around 1920 until into the 1960s when suddenly the companies producing them presumably failed to sell enough and simply stopped producing them. A number of companies have re-established themselves over the last few years, for example D & G Parlour Games, others can be found on the Internet under Games or Christmas Games.
The phrase "parlour game" has entered political dialogue, and is used to accuse opponents of using deliberately nebulous or confusing language when describing a particular position on an issue.
Examples
Examples of parlor games include:- Are you there Moriarty?Are you there Moriarty?Are you there Moriarty? is a parlour game in which two players at a time participate in a duel of sorts. Each player is blindfolded and given a rolled up newspaper to use as a weapon...
- Squeak Piggy SqueakSqueak Piggy SqueakSqueak Piggy Squeak is a parlour game that is sometimes called Grunt Piggy Grunt, Oink Piggy Oink. It is a variation of Blind Man's Bluff and was popular in the Victorian era....
- CarnelliCarnelliCarnelli is a parlor game created by Jan Carnell, a member of the Metropolitan Washington chapter of Mensa. This game has been popular at Mensa gatherings for years, and has turned up at science fiction conventions as well....
- CharadesCharadesCharades or charade is a word guessing game. In the form most played today, it is an acting game in which one player acts out a word or phrase, often by pantomiming similar-sounding words, and the other players guess the word or phrase. The idea is to use physical rather than verbal language to...
- Consequences
- Dictionary (Fictionary)FictionaryFictionary, also known as the Dictionary Game or simply Dictionary, is a word game in which players guess the definition of an obscure word....
- Snap-dragonSnap-dragon (game)Snap-dragon was a parlour game popular from about the 16th to 19th centuries. It was played during the winter, particularly on Christmas Eve. Brandy was heated and placed in a wide shallow bowl; raisins were placed in the brandy which was then set alight...
- Twenty questionsTwenty QuestionsTwenty Questions is a spoken parlor game which encourages deductive reasoning and creativity. It originated in the United States and escalated in popularity during the late 1940s when it became the format for a successful weekly radio quiz program....
- Blind man's bluff
- Mafia/WerewolfMafia (game)Mafia is a party game created in the USSR by Dimitry Davidoff in 1986, modelling a battle between an informed minority and an uninformed majority. Players are secretly assigned roles: either "mafia", who know each other; or "townspeople", who know only the number of mafia amongst them. In the...
- Elephant's foot umbrella standElephant's foot umbrella standElephant's foot umbrella stand is a parlour game that can be played with a various number of players, in which preferably only one of the participating players is familiar with the game.-Game play:...
- Wink MurderWink murderWink Murder, Murder Wink, Wink Death or Wink Wink Murder is a party game or parlour game. It is also variously known as Killer, Murder in the Dark and Lonely Ghost...
- The Minister's CatThe Minister's CatThe Minister's Cat is a Victorian parlour game. The game involves describing the eponymous cat using adjectives beginning with each letter of the alphabet.-How the game is played:...
- TiddlywinksTiddlywinksTiddlywinks is an indoor game played on a flat mat with sets of small discs called "winks", a pot and a collection of squidgers. Players use a "squidger", a disk usually made from plastic to move a wink into flight by pressing down on one side of the wink...
- Six Degrees of Kevin BaconSix Degrees of Kevin BaconSix Degrees of Kevin Bacon is a trivia game based on the concept of the small world phenomenon and rests on the assumption that any individual involved in the Hollywood, California film industry can be linked through his or her film roles to actor Kevin Bacon within six steps. The name of the game...
- Hyakumonogatari KaidankaiHyakumonogatari Kaidankaiwas a popular parlour game during the Edo period in Japan.The game was a simple one. In a room, as night fell, one hundred candles were lit. Guests and players gathered around the candles, taking turns telling kaidan. After each kaidan, a single candle was extinguished, and the room slowly grew...
- Hunt the Jiro